Topic: Dots and Lines Key Stage: Key Stage 3
KLA / Subject: Music and Visual Arts Duration of about 4 cycles
Learning:
Introduction: Through appreciating, creating and performing activities in learning across the arts, students understand how to use music and visual arts to present the concept of dots and lines, and the intertwined relationship between them in sounds and graphics. Students create music in groups to present the concept of dots and lines and record the music in graphic notation;
then draw pictures based on the music creative works afterwards.
Students gain learning experiences in creating, performing and assessing through music creating and painting. These experiences provide opportunities for interactive learning, exchange of ideas and collaboration for students, and help them to develop their generic skills.
Learning Developing Creativity and Imagination, Developing Music Skills and Targets: Processes, Cultivating Critical Responses in Music, Understanding Music
in Context Learning Music
Objectives: Students will learn to:
• use pitches, rhythms and other music elements to create music to present the concept of dots and lines;
• use graphic notation to record music;
• interpret the creative works of their own and peers according to the graphic notation;
• develop assessment criteria for creating and performing; and
• assess the creative works and performances according to the developed criteria.
Visual Arts
Students will learn to:
• explore various properties and arrangement of dots and lines for emotional expression in different artworks;
• appreciate and analyse how Kandinsky’s paintings use dots and lines and composition to express emotion;
• analyse some characteristics of Kandinsky’s abstract paintings;
• explore and experiment with the use of dots and lines to express different emotions and sensory experiences; and
• use the creative work developed in music lessons to generate different sensory experiences and associations, and express them in the form of abstract paintings.
Learning and Teaching Process:
Cycle 4
Music
(one double lesson in a 6-day cycle)
Visual Arts
(one double lesson in a 6-day cycle)
Cycle 1Cycle 2Cycle 3
Preparation Stage:
(1st double lesson)
• Use classroom instruments, body or objects to explore different sounds, and use the concept of dots and lines to imagine the visual effects of these sounds.
• Use suitable terms to describe the sounds explored.
Preparation Stage:
(2nd double lesson)
• With the help of tactile and auditory stimuli, imagine the characteristics and types of dots and lines.
• Observe and appreciate the dots and lines existing in the environment.
• Appreciate and analyse the properties and arrangement of dots and lines for emotional expression in different artwork.
• Use dry or wet painting materials to explore the expressive qualities of dots and lines.
Preparation Stage:
(3rd double lesson)
• Watch the excerpt of J.S. Bach’s “Toccata in D minor” in the Walt Disney film “Fantasia”, and understand how the music elements comply with the visual elements.
• Listen to different music excerpts and read the graphic notation at the same time, state the relationship between the music and the graphic notation.
• Understand the basic concepts of graphic notation, and use dots and lines to record the sounds explored.
Preparation Stage:
(4th double lesson)
• Based on some contextual information about Kandinsky’s abstract paintings provided by teacher to discuss how the artist used the properties of dots and lines and their arrangements for personal expression.
• Analyse some characteristics of Kandinsky’s abstract paintings.
• Explore the musical characteristics expressed in the paintings.
• Make sketches while listening to a few excerpts of music, and experience how artists create visual arts works through the stimulation of music.
Development Stage:
(5th double lesson)
• Create music in groups to present the concept of dots and lines, and notate the music using graphic notation.
• Learn to develop the assessment criteria for music creating and performing.
• Rehearse for the performance in groups after school hours.
Development Stage:
(6th double lesson)
• Appreciate and analyse again the excerpt of J.S. Bach’s “Toccata in D minor” in the Walt Disney film “Fantasia”, focusing on how dots and lines can be used as major components in composition to present music.
• Students and teacher develop the
assessment criteria for assessing visual arts works.
• Make an abstract painting based on their music creative works in groups.
Completion Stage:
(7th and 8th double lesson)
• Introduce the relationship between their own music and visual arts creative works in groups, display the graphic notation and perform the music creative work, and conduct self and peer assessment.
• Perform the music creative work of another group based on their graphic notation, and conduct self and peer assessment.
Notes:
(i) It is recommended to conduct these two double lessons in a school hall or student activities room, with display boards provided for the presentation of visual arts works and graphic notation.
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Assessment: Assess students’ overall performance in creating, learning abilities and attitudes and generic skills through classroom observations, worksheets, graphic notation, music and visual creative works and self and peer assessment.
Significance to • Through learning across the arts, students connect the knowledge and Learning: skills of music and visual arts;
• Through the creating process, students develop and apply their knowledge and skills of music and visual arts;
• Through the processes of creating and performing, students are facilitated to learn effectively and actively, and share the outcomes of collaborative learning;
• Through self and peer assessment, students develop their abilities in reflection and appraising; and
• Through group discussion, creating and performing activities, students’
generic skills and proper learning attitude are developed.
Significance to • Through designing activities of learning across the arts, teachers Teaching: understand how to implement and assess such activities;
• Through collaborative lesson preparation, teachers’ collaboration and team spirit are developed;
• Through guiding students to create and perform, teachers experience the roles of facilitators and collaborators to facilitate students to learn effectively and actively; and
• Through designing activities of learning across the arts, teachers widen the understanding of different art forms.
Learning and References:
Teaching Music Resources:
1. Bramhall, David. Composing in the Classroom. v. 1. New York: Boosey &
Hawkes, 1989, pp. 10-21, 38-40.
2. Chew, Geoffrey and Richard Rastall. “Notation”. In The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. 2nd ed. Edited by Stanley Sadie.
London: Macmillan Publishers, 2001, v. 18, pp.182-189.
3. Griffiths, Paul. György Ligeti. 2nd ed. London: Robson Books, 1997, pp. 26-37.
4. Pritchett, James. The Music of John Cage. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993, pp. 128-134.
5. Walden, David E. How to Listen to Modern Music Without Earplugs.
Toronto: Sound And Vision, 1999.
6. Whitney, Kathryn. “Score”. In The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. 2nd ed. Edited by Stanley Sadie. London: Macmillan, 2001, v. 22, pp. 900-904.
Visual Arts
1. Dabrowski, Magdalena. Kandinsky: Compositions. New York: Museum of Modern Art, 1995.
2. Stephens, Pamela and Nancy Walkup. Bridging the Curriculum Through Art: Interdisciplinary Connections. Glenview, Illinois: Crystal Productions, 2001.
Websites:
Music
1. BBC Radio 3: Games Homepage
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/games/
2. Graphic Notation
http://www.teachingideas.co.uk/music/graphic.htm Visual Arts
1. Kandinsky: Compositions
http://www.glyphs.com/art/kandinsky/
2. Wassily Kandinsky on the Internet
http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/kandinsky_wassily.html Examples for Appreciation:
Music
1. J. S. Bach: “Toccata and Fugue in D minor”
(from Walt Disney film “The Fantasia”) 2. Karlheinz Stockhausen: “Kontakte”
3. György Ligeti: “Volumina”
4. John Cage: “Aria”
5. Cathy Berberian: “Stripsody”
Visual Arts
1. !"#$=(Chinese painting) 2. !"#$%&'()=(Chinese painting) 3. !"#$%&'()*=(Chinese painting) 4. !"#$%&', 1985 (Chinese painting) 5. Wassily Kandinsky: “Colourful Life”, 1907 6. Wassily Kandinsky: “Autumn in Bavaria”, 1908 7. Wassily Kandinsky: “Compositions IV-VIII”, 1911-23 8. Joan Miro: “The Family”, 1893
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11. Edvard Munch: “Scream”, 1895
Generic Skills Creativity, critical thinking skills, communication skills, collaboration Developed: skills, self-management skills, problem-solving skills and study skills Values and 1. Respect and appreciate others’ creative works;
Attitudes 2. Cultivate the attitude of acceptance and openness; and Cultivated:
3. Cultivate positive and active learning attitude.